- We understand that people are anxious to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. However, please don’t contact your GP practice, local hospital or council to seek a COVID-19 vaccine appointment – appointments cannot be made in this way.
- More COVID-19 vaccination services will be available near you early in the New Year and the NHS will contact you when it’s the right time to come forward. If you’re eligible for a vaccine, but are yet to be contacted, please remain patient. You will not be missed.
- This is just the beginning of the largest vaccination programme the country has ever seen and we will make sure that the people who need it most (and those that care for them) are able to access the vaccine in a safe way with the least delay.
- When you are invited for a vaccine, please act on your invite and make sure you attend appointments when you arrange them.
- Please also continue to wear a face covering and follow social distancing and hand hygiene guidance as, until a vaccine has been fully rolled out, this is the most effective way to reduce transmission of the virus and help save lives.
Stay at home to stop coronavirus spreading
Everyone must stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus. You should only leave the house for very limited purposes:
- shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible
- one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household
- any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid or escape risk of injury or harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
- travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home
These reasons are exceptions – even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.
Below you can find further information and resources regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Germ Defence
We are letting you know about a very useful website called Germ Defence which was created by a team of doctors and scientists to give you advice that has been proven to reduce the spread of viruses in the home. It can help you plan how to protect yourself and members of your family from infection by COVID-19 and ‘flu.
It’s easy to use and only takes 10 minutes – just click on this link:
www.germdefence.org/index.html?src=N81032
(If this link does not open when you click on it, please copy and paste it into your web browser.)
Please pass details of the Germ Defence website to your friends and family.
There’s a button at the bottom of the Germ Defence website for sharing by social media.
If you’d like to know more:
- Over 20,000 people previously took part in research about Germ Defence
- People who followed the advice in Germ Defence had fewer and less severe illnesses – and so did the people they lived with
- Results of the study were published in The Lancet medical journal
- Germ Defence has been updated with COVID-19 advice to help prevent a wave of COVID-19 and ‘flu this Autumn/Winter
- Information about how the Germ Defence website is being evaluated is available here.
Useful Videos – Coronavirus (COVID-19)
How to get an Isolation Note for your Employer
You can obtain an Isolation Note for your employer from nhs.uk. These notes are for those who are required to stay at home because of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and you need a note for your employer.
This service is only for people who:
- have symptoms of coronavirus and have used the 111 online coronavirus service
- have been told by a healthcare professional they have symptoms of coronavirus
- live with someone who has symptoms of coronavirus
If you are not sure if you need to stay at home, get the latest NHS advice on coronavirus.
If you have to stay at home but feel well enough to work, ask your employer if you can work from home. If you can work from home, you will not need an isolation note.
You can also use this service for someone else.
Childhood Vaccinations Continue During Coronavirus Situation
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends continuing childhood vaccinations during the current Coronavirus pandemic. This is to reduce the infection rate from vaccine preventable diseases and to prevent outbreaks of these diseases.
If your child is due for any of their immunisations, please contact the practice to check on the current arrangements in place.
Symptom Checker App
Help slow the spread of COVID-19 by self-reporting your symptoms daily, even if you feel well.
Join millions of people supporting scientists at King’s College London to help our health services by identifying:
* How fast the virus is spreading in your area
* High-risk areas in the UK
* Who is most at risk, by better understanding symptoms linked to underlying health conditions
You will contribute to advance research on COVID-19 in partnership with leading scientific institutions like King’s College London and TwinsUK, one of the most clinically detailed studies in the world.
This app allows you to help others, but does not give health advice. If you need health advice please visit the NHS website at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
This app is designed by doctors and scientists at King’s College London, Guys and St Thomas’ Hospitals and Zoe Global Limited, a health technology company.
If you would like to help out in this difficult time, then you can. Download the app and share daily your own status, even if you are well. With your help we can understand much better the situation up and down the country, how the disease presents itself to different people, and how it progresses.
The PRINCIPLE trial aims to find treatments that reduce hospital admission and improve symptoms for people with COVID-19.
You could be eligible to join if
- You have had these symptoms for fewer than 15 days:
- new continuous cough or high temperature or a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell
- OR have a positive test for SARS-Co-V2 infection with COVID-19 symptoms in the past 14 days
- You are aged 50 to 64 with a pre-existing illness
- You are aged 65 and above
Find out more: www.principletrial.org
Post COVID-19 symptoms can continue to affect your physical and mental health, especially if recovery takes longer than anticipated. Your COVID Recovery provides you with information about how to manage your recovery, and how family, friends and carers can support your during this time.